Stumble
by The May Waters
Summary: Lily has trouble saying exactly what she's feeling, James wants to know what has been driving her silence, and it all ends in a shouting match. Written for Jily Week 2 Day 6 on tumblr.


Jily Week 2 Day 6

Theme: Feelings

-oOo-

Title: Stumble

Summary: Lily has trouble saying exactly what she's feeling, James wants to know what has been driving her silence, and it all ends in a shouting match.

May Waters

-oOo-

_I can't just tell him I love him! _Lily thought to herself as her eyes drifted once more to James Potter. They were in the middle of a charms lesson; he appeared to be taking notes-Lily hadn't heard a word Professor Flitwick had said for the last hour. James was the Head Boy to her Head Girl, over the last couple months; she had come to love his boyish charm and sometimes innocent humor. His smile was charming and Lily wanted to just kiss him every time he smiled just so at her. She'd been debating for weeks on how to explain her more closed off behavior, she had long since realized her love for the Quidditch player and it made communication strained and confusing.

-oOo-

"Hey Lily," James greeted as he walked into the Gryffindor Common Room. It was not dark outside and Lily had been staring at her homework for the last hour, willing it to write itself while she pondered her feelings for James and the implications of such feelings.

"Hi," Lily jumped out of her head and tried to scramble to her feet, but her leg connected with the table and she gasped in pain. James raised an eyebrow at her and she attempted to hide the pain with a smile which came out as a grimace.

"Are you alright?" He asked moving over to one of the squishy arm chairs.

"Fine, brilliant actually." She started shifting paper to the side so he would have a place to work if he chose to.

"Are you sure?"

"What's there to not be sure about?" Lily had stopped her moving and was staring straight down at her essay. There in the corner was a little doodle; she prayed James didn't spot it.

"You've been acting really strange lately," James pointed out.

"Have I?"

"Don't go avoiding the question," He warned narrowing his eyes. "Why are you getting gradually quieter around me?"

"It's nothing."

"Like fudge it's nothing," James was no leaning forward and Lily could feel warmth radiating off of him.

"I do rather like the consistency of fudge, I wonder if the house elves would be willing to get me some?" Lily started shifting her papers again, quickly trying to make it look as though she were considering leaving, which seemed very plausible at the moment.

"Lily," He sounded exasperated.

"What?"

"Can you just tell me why you've been so quiet around me?"

"I told you it's nothing," Lily avoided once more biting her lip.

"Please don't do this to me," James groaned and her green eyes slid up to meet his hazel ones.

"I've just been really confused lately," Lily was suddenly pouring out all her thoughts in a jumble. "I've just been thinking about how much you've changed and then I realized just how much I like you and all. You're not the boy who used to just ask me out and you're someone I could easily be around forever and I just got to thinking about what it all means when I realized. I've had a crush on you for a while now and it's not like I could just blurt out 'I love you' whenever you come around and hope it comes to be something more. I would be the laughing stock of the world and it's a danger for anyone pureblood to be associated with me so I just assumed that you would stop being my friend the minute I told you. It's just, I really, really like you and I-"

Lily's hands covered her mouth as the last rush of her words came out, they were muffled however and James didn't seem as though he could understand them. Her face was a beautiful shade of red, clashing horribly with her darker hair, her green eyes now fixated on the fringe of the carpet. She reached out to grab her bag and make a run for it, when a hand intercepted hers. Lily stared down at the very masculine hand, electricity radiating from the spot and jolting her whole body with the shock. She dared not look away, fearing what might be coming after her stumbling of a way to explain her feelings. Lily felt a hand connect with her cheek and more sparks seemed to fly, she swallowed, but still did not look up. The hand forced her chin upward and her green eyes unwillingly met James' hazel. Within the few seconds they looked at each other, he had closed the gap and was kissing her quite fiercly. Lily gasped in surprise and let the sensation entangle her. Perhaps a stumble now and then would be okay, especially if she were falling into his arms.


End file.
